The Decisions We Make
by ShadowDragon-24
Summary: [An Alternate Ending To The Movie] She made the decision. He allowed her to. What would their decisions lead to? The beginning of the end? Or, just a new beginning for them? EdWin COMPLETE!
1. Reunion and Decision

**_The_****_ Decisions We Make _**

**A/N: ****It's** kinda like an alternate ending to the movie but I will continue it in chapters so...Here goes nothing!  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA in any way, I write these stories because I like to write them.  
**WARNING: **Contains some spoilers from the movie!!!

F----------------M----------------A

Winry, Al, And Shiezka all stood there as the gate to a strange world was wide open in the sky. Suddenly, a small, red, flying vehicle flew out of the gate and started coming their way. The red vehicle came crashing down on the ground in front of them, looking like a pebble being tossed over water, crashing a few times on the ground until finally sliding and hitting a wall.

Winry was the first to step forward to take a closer look at the destroyed vehicle, thinking that Ed might be there. She saw a figure moving slowly as if every move was painful. It was Ed.

"Got to work on the landing" he said quietly as he put his hand up to a sore spot on his forehead.

"Ed...?" Winry said quietly.

Ed's eyes widened and he jumped somewhat. He slowly looked up at Winry and smiled gently.

"You didn't forget about me, did you?" Winry asked, almost about to to cry.

"How could I forget _you_?" Ed retorted playfully. He began to freak out a bit when he saw Winry coming down to him, but instead of feeling a wrench to his head or a punch to his cheek, he felt Winry wrap her arms around his neck. He couldn't help but blush.

"Welcome home" she said as her eyes watered a bit.

"Uh...Thanks Winry..." Ed responded nervously.

Winry pulled away, but then he heard another, extremely familiar, voice.

"Ed!" Al's voice made him smile once again.

Sheizka silently came over with a small smile on her face. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion.

"I'll handle it!" Al declared as he ran off towards the explosion.

"Al!" Ed called out as he tried to stand but immediately fell back down on the ground. He looked back to see his fake limb in a destroyed manner that made him worry. _What a time for my leg to get screwed up!_ He thought angrily.

"How have you been walking on _those_?" Winry asked sarcastically.

Ed responded by looking away, annoyed.

Winry smiled gently. She pulled her large suitcase next to him. "I'll fix you up!" she said as she knelt down next to him and began to open the suitcase.

"You know, I've grown a bit since the last time you fixed me" Ed said, smiling gently.

Winry smiled at him, pulled out an automail arm and asked, "Who do you think you're dealing with?", sarcastically.

She began fixing him and working on him until he was finished. "Try to walk" Winry suggested.

Ed stood up, took a few steps, and moved his automail around a little. "Thanks Winry! Now, stay here!" he demanded and began to run off after Al.

"Ed, wait!" Winry called out, he stopped and turned around.

"Winry, what is it?" Ed asked hurriedly.

"Ed, I..." Winry stopped for a moment.

"Winry?" Ed said quietly.

"Ed, I...I'm coming with you!" Winry declared finally.

"Oh no! I won't responsible for any deaths, especially not yours!" Ed responded angrily.

"And _I_ won't stand on the sidelines while you put _your_ life on the line!" Winry retorted. "Please, let me come with you!" she pleaded.

Ed stood there for a moment. "And if we never come back to this world?" he asked quietly.

"Then I'll keep going, even if it means saying goodbye to this place forever!" Winry replied strongly.

This response surprised Ed. He let out a breath. "Fine! But you'll have to lose the suitcase! I'm not sure what we'll encounter!" he said finally.

Winry put down her suitcase and quickly opened it to pull out her wrench. "Let's go!" she said, holding the wrench as if it were a precious weapon, and leaving the suitcase on the ground.

Sheizka watched as they ran off together and smiled._ I knew it! _She thought.

"ALPHONSE!" Ed called out.

"Over here!!" Ed and Winry heard and then saw Al waving an arm frantically at them. They ran over to him.

"You OK Al?" Ed asked immediately.

Al grinned reassuringly and nodded once. They looked up at the gate and suddenly saw a huge flying vehicle come out, Ed glared angrily. He knew very well who was driving that thing, and he was _pissed_! "That sorry bitch won't give up until I kill her, will she!?" he said angrily.

"Ed, what are you talking about?" Winry asked worriedly.

"The bitch that's driving that thing! She's trying to take over our world...But I won't let her!" Ed declared.

"_We_ won't let her!" Al said, Ed looked at him and smiled.

"Yeah Ed, we're behind you all the way!" Winry said happily.

"Then", Ed began quietly, "Let's do this!". They looked up at the enormous vehicle.

"Any ideas on how to get up there?" Winry asked nervously.

Ed and Al simply smirked at her. "Who do you think you're dealing with?" Ed asked, smiling sarcastically.

"Man your stations! We _won't _let that thing land!" the sound of this other, familiar sounding, voice made Ed almost shiver. He looked over to the other side and there he was, the bastard Roy Mustang.

_Crap!_ Ed thought angrily.

When he finally noticed Ed, Roy's eyes widened. "Well, if it isn't Fullmetal!" he said amusingly.

Ed didn't respond.

"You look taller!" Roy said sarcastically. "You should've gotten a patch to cover that mouth of yours!" Ed responded finally.

Roy chuckled. "Same Edward as always, I see!" he said, smiling. Suddenly, a missile came their way. "Look out!" Ed pleaded; they all jumped out of the way. Luckily, the missile hit somewhere else, completely avoiding them. "We've got to stop her!" Ed said angrily. He looked over at Al.

Al nodded as if saying _let's do it! __  
_  
Winry, Ed, Roy, and Al all stood together. The two brothers clapped their hands together and created a platform under their feet, which carried them up to the strange ship. The four of them quickly stepped onto it.

"The game is-" Ed stopped and looked around. There was no one. _But…how? _Ed thought,_ Dietlinde should've been here!_ "Where are you damn it!? I know you're here!" Ed asked, angrily but nervously.

They heard a small creaking noise behind them and turned around. Ed an Al immediately went into fighting stance; Winry had her wrench at the ready, and Roy with his fingers ready to snap.

Out of the strange, black, oozy mess, Dietlinde stepped out with an evil grin on her face and nearly covered completely by the black ooze.

"It's over, Dietlinde! We _won't_ let you take over this world!" Ed declared.

"That's what you think!" Dietlinde retorted, "Shamballa _will_ be mine!"

Dietlinde came towards them, but before Ed and Al could do anything, Roy snapped his fingers, not only causing her to be burned severely, but pushing her off to the back of the ship. She looked dead.

"What are your orders Edward?" Roy asked, leaving Ed half shocked. Ed shook his head and replied finally, "get off the ship! I'll close the gate!"

Roy nodded and walked back to the platform, Winry and Al stayed still.

"What are you guys waiting for!?" he asked angrily.

"We're not leaving you!" Winry replied.

"I won't let you two sacrifice yourselves, now _get off_!" Ed demanded.

Roy stepped in once again. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Get these two away from here!" Ed demanded.

Roy grabbed Al's arm and began dragging him towards the platform.

Ed then did the same with Winry.

"I'm not going to leave you!" Winry insisted.

"I don't want you to sacrifice yourselves! This is _my_ problem, and besides, I may never come back again!" he tried to make them understand.

"We don't care!" Al interjected, his eyes beginning to water.

Roy held their arms tightly, not allowing them to leave.

Ed took one final look at Al and Winry before turning back inside the ship.

Roy let go of them and whispered, "Go! Before he leaves!"

Winry stared at him curiously and then smiled. "Thank you!" Al and Winry both whispered and the quietly stepped back onto the ship right before it began to move.

Al hid himself inside a nearby armor and Winry hid in a storage closet in the back.

Ed turned the huge ship around to face the gate. At full speed, he entered. The ride trough the gate was bumpy and nerve wrecking, Ed could already see black ooze beginning to consume the ship until finally it past through to the other side and the gate closed. Of course, Ed landed the ship but it ended up crashing anyway. He stepped wearily out of the ship, only to find Noah, sadly holding Alphons Heidrich's dead body in her arms.

"I'm sorry...There...Was nothing I could do!" Noah apologized sadly to her friend.

Ed took in a deep breath. "You don't have to be sorry, you didn't do it" he said understandingly. They suddenly heard creaks and cracks from inside the ship.

"Stay here!" Ed demanded as he went off to investigate. He looked inside. No one.

"Over here!" he heard a voice come from a suit of armor, he walked over to it. "So you bonded part of your soul to a suit of armor, huh? For how long?" he asked smiling.

In response, the head of the suit of armor popped off and Al stuck his head out. "Hiya!" he said cheerfully.

"Al!? But...But how!?" he asked nervously. "Roy let us go last minute" Al replied.

"_Us?_" Ed retorted, surprised

"Um, could I get some help?" Winry's voice made Ed even more nervous than what he was.

Al stepped out of the suit of armor and waited to see Edward's expression.

Ed began to make his way towards the storage closet but it was suddenly forced open as Winry kicked it open out of aggression.

"Ugh! What a pain!" Winry complained.

''Winry...Al..." Ed said quietly.

They stared at him, anxiously.

"Have you two completely lost your minds!!?? You could've gotten killed!" Ed exploded angrily.

"What!?" Winry said, just as angrily as him. "We risk our lives and _this _is how you thank us!?"

Ed went to reply but they suddenly saw Dietlinde's severed body begin to move and stand up. She wasn't dead, but she _was_ pissed!

They went to attack but a gunshot rang.

Dietlinde fell to her knees, just before dying completely.

The three of them turned around to see Hughes, holding a pistol. "Are you guys alright?" He asked.

"We're fine!" Ed reassured happily.

Ed and Winry decided to forget about their argument and the three of them stepped out of the ship.

Winry was surprised when she saw Alphons's dead body. "Al, he...He looks just like you" she said quietly to the younger Elric.

Al's eyes widened and he gulped nervously.

F----------------M----------------A

At Alphons's funeral, Ed stood sadly, staring at the grave of his dead friend.

Although she didn't know him, Winry still stood there sadly.

Al mourned at the death of someone who looked almost _exactly_ like him.

F----------------M----------------A

That night, in Ed's house, Noah went off to bed and Winry went to the kitchen in search of Ed. Instead, she found Al, making himself a small snack before heading off to bed. "Hey Al, you know where Ed might be?" she asked curiously.

Al thought for a moment. "Go up to the attic, there's an opening that leads up to the roof, I think he's there" he replied. Al had already explored the entire house so he new very well where things were.

"Thanks Al" Winry said gratefully and walked off upstairs. Winry found a small staircase that led to the attic, she climbed them and, just as Al mentioned, another staircase was there that led up to the roof.

There was Ed, lying on the roof, staring up at the star-filled night sky.

Ed hadn't noticed her as she stepped onto the roof.

"Hello" Winry said quietly, her heart skipping a few beats.

Ed looked up at her and managed a smile. He sat up and gestured for her to sit next to him.

Winry smiled and calmed down a bit as she sat next to him. "What are you doing up here?" she asked curiously.

Ed paused before answering, feeling the gentle breezes that past by. "Just thinking, that's all" he replied, trying to sound reassuring.

"Are you sure that's all?" Winry asked, smiling gently.

Ed looked at her with a very serious and adult expression. "No..." he said finally, turning his head the other direction.

Winry was surprised; usually Ed would keep her out of his mind, but this time he seemed to be pleading for her counseling. "You wanna talk about it?" she asked ever so softly as she hugged her legs.

Ed looked back at her and smiled.

Winry returned a smile of her own.

"Winry...You had the chance to stay back in the other world, with your grandmother, and the rest of your friends…What made you jump on the last minute?" Ed asked curiously.

Winry stared up at the sky for a moment. "I guess..." she paused for a moment, "not seeing for two years made me want to stay with you...Even if it meant saying goodbye to everything" she replied quietly.

There was a short pause between them.

"Regrets?" Ed said suddenly.

"Huh?" Winry asked, confused.

Ed hugged his legs. "Do you have any regrets?" he asked.

Winry stared up at the sky. "No" is all she replied.

Ed smiled. "Winry, I'' he stopped.

"Yeah Ed?" Winry asked anxiously.

"I know I acted like a total jerk about this whole thing earlier, but" Ed paused once again. "I'm really glad you and Al decided to jump on last minute" he confessed. He looked away, Winry thought it was because he may have been embarrassed to admit that, but the truth was that he was blushing and didn't want her to see.

They continued to stare up at the beautiful night sky, before going back inside and going to their rooms to sleep.

F----------------M----------------A

**A/N:** Like I said, I'll continue this in chapters so you'll just have to wait and see what I type up!

By the way, this is a story I wrote in LiveJournal sometime back :P After chapter seven, I was having a serious case of writer's block -.- I've recently decided to bring it back to life ) Chapters 2-6 have been lost :( due to the fact that I deleted them.

_But_ I _was _able to recover Ch. 1 and 7. I will use my memory to try and fill in the rest of the blank T.T In other words; give me some time before this story is updated. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy the read:) Please, forgive the lengthiness, and R&R constructive criticism, no flames :) thanks!


	2. Just A Day

**_The_****_ Decisions We Make_**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own FMA in any way, I write these stories because I like to write them.

**Rating:**PG—PG-13 Due To Bad Language and Blood.

**A/N: ****Anyone who's read this on LJ and you remember it differently, please keep in mind that I'm writing these purely form memory. Hope you enjoy, nonetheless:)**

**F----------------M----------------A**

Ed woke up, wearily, the next morning. He quickly dressed into his normal clothes for the day; white button-up shirt, brown pants, vest and shoes. Then, he walked over to his dresser and grabbed the band he used to tie his hair back in a high ponytail, doing so afterwards.

The former Alchemist walked through the hallway, not caring to look into the other bedrooms. As he walked down the stairs of his home, he briefly thought about the events of the day before, believing they were nothing more than a dream or figment of his own imagination.

As he neared the bottom of the stairs, he heard slight complaining and whining. The eighteen year-olds eyes widened and he quickly walked the rest of the way, into the kitchen. There, he saw a pained Winry, a hand to her apparent sore back.

Winry turned around carefully to the newcomer. "Oh, Ed…it's you" she said, her voice hinted the slightest bit of pain.

Ed quickly snapped out of the fact that, what happened yesterday was no dream. He looked to his friend worriedly. "Is something wrong?" the young man asked, obviously fearful for his friend.

"My back" Winry replied, rubbing a sore spot. "I woke up and it really hurt" she stated.

Ed quickly came to her aid, carefully taking her hands in his own and sitting her down in the nearest chair. Of course, he blushed at the fact that their hands made contact, as did Winry.

Once the mechanic was in the chair, Ed looked down at her. "Just stay still; I'll make you some coffee" he insisted kindly.

Winry smiled gratefully. "Thanks" she mumbled thankfully.

Ed smiled back at her and turned to the kitchen to make some coffee for his friend and himself.

Winry continued to massage her back.

After a few minutes, Ed returned, holding two mugs undoubtedly filled with coffee. He gave the green one he was holding to Winry, keeping his, which was a cobalt blue. "Here you go; I hope it helps" he said kindly as he sat down next to the blonde girl.

"Coffee always makes me feel better" Winry said humorously. The two laughed slightly.

"I wasn't sure how to make it so I just used a bit of crème to sweeten it up a bit; I'm sure you don't like it the same as me" Ed stated.

Winry mentally agreed. When Ed occasionally drank coffee in her home, he would always drink it dark; darker than the black clothes he used to wear. Nonetheless, she took the warm mug in her hands and carefully brought the rim to her lips. The hot fluid flowed from the cup into her mouth and she hummed happily.

"It's delicious; just how I like it" the mechanic told her childhood friend contently.

Ed smiled and took a sip of his own coffee, letting the liquid come into his mouth and flow down his throat. Once he took the small but considerate gulp, he looked back to the mechanic next to him. "Any thing else wrong with you?" he asked, still a little worried.

Winry held her mug tightly and shook her head. "Just my back" she informed.

Ed let out a breath. "When I first got here, I'd wake up with a few backaches myself" he told his friend.

"Really?" Winry asked curiously.

Ed nodded slightly, taking another sip of his coffee.

It stayed silent for a moment or so.

Winry knew Ed long enough to know that he had an exceptionally sensitive back. What he had had just told her didn't really surprise her.

Yet, something kept nagging in the back of her brain that his backaches were nothing of natural coincidence.

She interrogated the young man further. "Was it…_just_ backaches?" she asked apprehensively, hoping to get a truthful answer out of him.

Ed's eyes widened at the question and his lips melted to a frown. Looking away, he whispered his reply. "Backaches…headaches…You name it, I had it" he told the blonde young woman.

Winry's eyes widened and she tilted her head down sadly, carefully taking the smallest of sips of her coffee.

The two suddenly heard steps coming form the stairs once more. The two turned their heads simultaneously to see Al coming out of the stairwell. "Morning Al" they greeted the younger Elric concurrently, trying to change the bitter atmosphere around them to a happier one.

"Hmm, morning guys" the 15 year-old said, somewhat groggily as he scratched the back of his head tiredly.

Ed rolled his eyes humorously, taking another sip of his hot drink.

Al walked into the kitchen and quickly poured himself a glass of milk; unlike his elder, he didn't mind the taste of milk. As a matter of fact, he preferred it over coffee. After pouring his drink, he walked over to the table and sat next to his brother.

Ed glared slightly at the glass his brother held before looking back to his own mug.

Al took a sip of the white liquid and looked to his elder. "Brother?" he said, rather curiously.

"Hmm?" Ed replied, taking a considerate gulp of his warm drink.

"What's the plan for today?" Al asked inquisitively.

Ed chuckled inwardly. "I thought it was obvious" he said humorously.

This only resulted in a blank stare from poor Al.

"We need to score _you_ a job!" Ed told his sibling.

Al's face contorted. "Aww, man!" Al forehead met the table in front of him.

"Sorry Al" Ed apologized. "But, before this whole mess from yesterday, Alphons" Ed stopped there, sadly remembering his dead friend. He swallowed a minor lump in his throat. "Alphons and I would always split bills. I can't pay the bills myself, so, I need an extra hand" he informed.

Al's eyes drooped somewhat but he agreed finally.

Before heading out, Noah walked downstairs as well. She informed Ed that she would be meeting up somewhere with a few friends.

"Alright Noah; have fun, I guess" Ed said as he pulled on his long coat.

Noah smiled cheerfully at him before heading out before them.

Winry couldn't help but feel a little jealous towards the gypsy woman.

Once the three friends were ready, they headed out; hopeful to find Al a job and to go clothes shopping for Winry and the younger Elric.

F----------------M----------------A

**A/N:**YAY! Chapter 2:) As I said, if this is a bit off from what (maybe) some of you have read on LJ, please forgive; working with nothing but memory here :PAnyway, please R&R, constructive criticism, no flames ;) thanks!

Later! -ShadowDragon-24


	3. The Journal

**_The_****_ Decisions We Make_**

**Disclaimer:** I Don't Own FMA In Any Way.

**Rating:**PG—PG-13 Due To Bad Language and Blood.

**A/N:** Sorry for the last chapter :\ I know it was a little boring. But, it will get better :) Enjoy!

F----------------M----------------A

At the end of that day, the two Elric's and Rockbell mechanic were _exhausted_

First off, Ed had to find Al a job. He took him to the rocketry facility he himself worked at. The elder Elric had to practically _beg_ his superiors to allow the younger to work with them, proving that the sibling was just as well trained in the fields of speed and acceleration as he was.

Plus, because Al was a minor, the supervisors had to insure that Al wouldn't mind a little extra work every now and then. Eventually, they gave in and allowed the younger to work as a blueprint designer and supervisor with his brother.

On their way out, Ed explained that the job was simple but well-paying. All they had to do was look over blueprint designs for new rockets and make sure that the design met industrial standards; in other words, they were in proper order and were able to fly suitably which is checked through formula testing, data analyzing and calculations that must be made.

After that, they had to go shopping for clothes for Winry and Al. Seeing as the two only had one set of clothes, it came to no surprise.

It was generally time consuming because they had to purchase clothes to last the two long enough for an extended period of time.

Plus, some of Winry's 'girl side', as Ed had called it, kicked in and she wanted to try on some of the clothes she would be buying to make sure it looked OK.

Finally, as they reached their home, Ed quickly opened the door to their home, allowed himself and his younger brother and friend to enter, and closed the door behind him, locking it. He helped them take their new belongings up to their rooms before heading to his own room to collapse onto his bed.

He closed his eyes and rested his flesh arm over his eyes.

Once Winry was done putting away her things, she decided to go see Ed; to thank him for spending most of _his _money on her and Al.

She leaned on his door frame and looked to his bed. Her eyes widened humorously as she saw the teen resting on his bed. Playfully, she knocked on the wall next to the door. "Knock, knock" she joked.

Ed immediately pulled his arm away from his eyes and looked up to the girl. "Oh…hey, what's up?" he asked as he carefully sat up.

Winry smiled at him, walking into his room further and sitting down beside him.

Ed's cheeks tinted with pink.

"I just wanted to thank you" Winry told the Elric.

Ed raised a brow. "Thank me? For what?" he asked intriguingly.

Winry rolled her eyes. "For spending most of _your_ money on Al and me" she explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh" Ed said, his blush deepening somewhat. "That…don't worry about it; I mean, I wasn't going to leave you guys without any clothes, hehe" he said, trying to sound humorous and play the part by smiling brightly.

Winry smiled slightly and laughed in response to his attitude. Her smile faded and she looked to her friend. "Ed?" she asked carefully.

Ed's grin quickly melted as well. "Win?" he asked, worriedly, in return.

It stayed silent for a moment before Winry perked up once more. She sighed and smiled, once again, to the elder Elric at her side. "It's just…it's nice to be able to see your face again; I missed your smile" the mechanic told him as she blushed.

Ed's eyes widened slightly at the girls response. "Uh…um, well, uh" the teen stammered nervously.

"I'll see you later" Winry interrupted his search for words as she stood up and walked back to her bedroom.

Ed watched her leave, blushing heavily. He became stern with himself. He brought his Automail hand up to his head and his metallic palm and forehead met. He held back a scream as he fell back onto his bed.

Pulling his hand away, which left a rather large red mark, due to the fact the arm was _indeed_ metal, he looked up to the ceiling of his room angrily. _Why the_hell_can't I make words when she says stuff like that!?_ He asked himself heatedly. His eyes widened slightly. _And why the hell do I care? Winry's just my friend…right?_ He asked himself nervously.

For the rest of the day, as he and everyone else bathed and changed to go off to bed, Ed fell asleep asking himself a number of questions, all of which consisted of Winry and his feelings towards her.

F----------------M----------------A

The next day was…_different_ from what Winry had expected. Of course, she woke up and quickly got dressed in a short sleeve blouse, long brown skirt that reached below her ankles and brown shoes. She quickly brushed her bed hair to its natural way and headed downstairs, hoping that the Elric brother's had already awoken.

Sadly, no one was seen. But, she did find a small note on the kitchen table. She eyed it curiously before walking up to the table and taking the small paper in her hand.

She began reading.

_Winry,_

_Al and I woke up earlier today to head out to work; we need a good first impression for Al, after all. _

_Anyway, aside from that, I wrote this letter just to tell you to NOT LEAVE THE HOUSE WHATSOEVER!!!_

_I _**don't** _need anything happening to you! Just stay home and wait for me and Al to come home! Just, find a way to entertain yourself _**without **_leaving!_

_-Ed_

P.S._Noah had also left off somewhere too; she won't be home either._

Winry's right eye twitched slightly and she looked at the note questionably. _What!?_ The Rockbell thought, irritated. _Does that_Alchemy Freak_expect me to stay here all day!?_ She asked herself heatedly.

She sighed, obviously annoyed by the Elric's letter._ Well…at least he's worrying about me; I suppose_ she thought, smiling finally in spite of the situation. She dropped the letter back onto the table and walked into the kitchen.

She made herself some toast and coffee, to at least eat something before thinking of what to do on this day. After eating her small breakfast, she washed the few dishes that were in the sink, putting them away afterwards.

The young blonde then headed back upstairs, intentionally wanting to go to her room. As she walked into the hallway, though, Ed's bedroom door caught her sight. She tilted her head to the side and walked up to it.

She realized that, although she hadn't been in this world for too long, she hadn't really gotten a good look of Ed's bedroom. She reached down to the knob, seeing several scratches and dents upon it, undoubtedly caused by his fake arm in the past, she assumed.

She hovered her hand over the knob for a few seconds, before finally placing her hand on it and turning it. Carefully, the blonde opened the door and peered inside. She opened wider and took a step in.

She saw…

Books; lots and lots of books. She laughed slightly at the state. "Ed's still a bookworm, I see" she said humorously, stepping into the room fully to investigate further. She walked up to a desk he had, on the other side of his bed.

The mechanic picked up a random book and flipped through it. By the several paragraphs an small pictures, she figured it was another one of his science books. She laughed again when she saw some of his chicken-scratch writing scattered on some of the pages.

Placing the book back in its original places, another small book caught her eye. Gently, she picked it up an held it in her hands.

It wasn't particularly big but it had several pages. It was brown, wrapped with a buckle, obviously acting as a sort of lock. By the looks of it, it wasn't a journal for formulas, several of which Ed had, but it looked like more of a journal for writing personal entries.

Winry cocked her head to the side once more. She asked herself whether or not to open the thing or not.

_I really shouldn't…_she thought anxiously.

"Hmm" she hummed, contemplating. _Maybe…just a quick peek_ she decided.

She sat on the edge of Ed's bed, unbuckled the fastener on the small book and held it open in her hands.

F----------------M----------------A

**A/N:** I swear, the _entire_ second part of this chapter happened in the original! Not the _exact_ wording but the general events _did_! X3 I was able to remember that! XO Anyway, do me a favor and R&R. constructive criticism, no flames X) Thanks!

What an interesting chapter, eh? O.o


	4. Unexpected

**_The_****_ Decisions We Make_**

**Disclaimer:** I Don't Own FMA In Any Way.

**Rating:**PG—PG-13 Due To Bad Language and Blood.

**A/N: **Anyone who's read the original (I'm pretty sure there aren't any though O.o) and find this one a little off, please remember; I'm doing this totally from memory. Plus, since my writing and literature skills _have _improved over time and my variety of words has grown significantly, my style may have changed over time from when the original was written to the current point in time XO Plus, my creativity has also developed somewhat, so that's something to think about too

Anyway, enjoy ;)

F----------------M----------------A

As Winry flipped through the small book, she was careful not to read anything; it was _Ed's_ after all and she respected him enough to understand that some things are to be left private.

Winry laughed slightly as she saw that, over time, Ed's chicken scratch turned to proper print and some cursive as well.

It was a basic journal, filled with simple day-to-day entries of that occurred on certain days. The Rockbell crossed her legs and continued to flip through the young man's journal.

Suddenly, she noted that his style began to change. She began to see a few scribbles here and there and a couple of phrases that were scratched over; obviously they must've been something he himself didn't want to see anymore, much less anyone else.

Intrigued by the former Alchemist's change in style, her curiosity kicked in to high gear and she became a little more comfortable on his bed.

_Now_ she began reading.

**Journal Entry 216**

_Regrets…_

_I left Amestris how long ago? A year now…and, yet, my mind keeps betraying me; I keep having those damn dreams where I'm in Resembol…Everything looks and _**feels **_so real, too. I get thinking I'm finally back home, where I belong…_

_And then, darkness suddenly envelopes the sky over me and I get eaten up by that damn gate…The last thing I hear is 'A sinner can _**never **_pay for his sins' right before I get pulled in. That's usually when I wake up in cold sweat, screaming out a name of a friend or my brother._

…_I'm an idiot…I should just get over it; I'm not going back anytime soon…I guess that means I won't be seeing Al either…_

_But, that's Equalivalent Exchange, right? I mean, had I asked to get Al's body _**and** _stay back in my own world…_

_No, that would've been an unfair trade…_

_But…what if this is all just one big dream? Some sort of nightmare, even? What f I'm just laying asleep somewhere and Al's still stuck in a suit of armor!?_

_No...No, that can't be…this has to be real; I made a sacrifice…I'm a sinner and now…_

_I'm paying for it…_

Winry swallowed a lump in her throat, sadly. Is this what happened to Ed when he was gone?

She wanted to stop reading there but, unwillingly, continued.

_What about everyone I left behind!? Aside from Al, I had so many friends…_

_What about Aunty Pinako? Hell, she was old hag but she was always looking out for me and Al…The military dogs? Havoc, a smoker but a good friend, I admit. Even Fuery and everyone else were good friends._

…_Even the Colonel Bastard, Mustang…OK, _**yes**_,I admit it; had it not been for some stuff he helped me and Al with, Al wouldn't have his body back._

_What about…oh no, I shouldn't go there…Every time I think about her, my mind's gears stop working and I think about how many times I let her down…_

Winry stopped for a moment and looked at the book, a little anger in her eyes. What girl was so special that it made the gears in his head stop working? What did she do? Hell, who _was_ she!? The mechanic continued reading, obviously wanting to find out whomever it was that made Ed so nervous.

_Who am I kidding…I'm never gonna see her again…I never even told her…_

_Wait…I never told her…How I could have _**not** _told her!? _

_I can't believe I did that to her…_

Winry's eyes grew wide, frozen in shock as she read the name at the bottom of the page.

_Winry…_

The Rockbell regained what little composure she had and carefully turned the page.

_I never told her! Why didn't I tell her!? _

_Tell her that I…_

The rest of the page had been severely scratched over, unable to make out in anyway.

Winry could not believe what she had just read; her eyes drooped somewhat and she held the book in her hands sadly.

_Ed…_she thought sorrowfully. _What happened to you? And…what was it you needed to tell me that was so important? _She asked herself. The Rockbell continued sitting on his bed with his journal on her lap.

There she stayed, finding herself getting more questions than answers.

Time went on for hours and she didn't move.

Even as Ed and Al finally returned home from work, her clouded mind kept her sitting there without even realizing.

F----------------M----------------A

Ed and Al walked home, laughing slightly at an event that took place a little earlier that day.

Ed smiled at his younger sibling; it was nice to able to see him in the flesh.

The two looked ahead and saw their home.

"C'mon; I'm sure Winry's ready with a mouthful for me" Ed said humorously.

"Yeah, after that note you left her, she's probably polished up that wrench of hers _real_ nice; made especially for _your_ head!" Al joked playfully.

"Eh…yeah…my head" Ed said, nervously putting a gloved hand to the back of his head.

Al laughed a little at his brother's nervousness.

Soon, the two were at the front door. Ed pulled out his keys.

Al reminded his brother to get an extra set when he could for him.

Ed agreed and unlocked the door. Al walked in and then Ed, closing and locking the door behind him.

"I'm gonna get a snack and head upstairs to read that book you gave me" Al told his elder brother.

"OK; hope you like the read" Ed said happily and then headed upstairs to his room.

"Winry, we're back" the elder Elric called out, alerting the Rockbell that they had returned. He heard no response nor did Winry com out of her room. He gave the area an odd look before he looked to his room, strangely finding the door wide open.

He gave another odd look and walked towards the open room. Peering his head into his bedroom, the Elric was surprised to see Winry sitting on the opposite side of his bed. Stepping in further, he decided to reveal his presence to the young woman.

"Winry?" he asked, curiosity hinted in his voice.

Winry jumped a little as she heard the former Alchemist's voice. Her lower jaw trembled and she carefully stood up. Gently, she placed his journal, face-up, on his desk and slowly turned around to face the young man.

Ed's eyes widened as Winry looked at him sadly, as if she were about to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Edward" the mechanic said, quietly but full of sadness. She ran out of the room, her left shoulder brushing up against Ed's. The blonde then ran to her bedroom, closing the door and leaning back on it. Slowly, she slid down to the ground and buried her face in her hands.

Ed's eyes stayed confused. _Sorry? For what?_ The blonde asked himself curiously. He quickly walked over to his desk and looked down at the book Winry was looking at. His eyes widened sternly and he looked towards his door. "Winry" he muttered dangerously.

Hastily, he stripped away his white gloves and long coat and stomped to Winry's bedroom door.

Al past by him, holding a sandwich on a plate as he headed to his room. "Hey brother" he greeted before going into his own room, closing door as he entered.

Ed somewhat ignored him and brought his flesh hand up to the door in front of him. Gently, but sternly, he knocked. "Winry, open up!" he demanded heatedly. He heard some shuffling on the other side of the door before it opened finally to a slightly red-faced Winry.

"Edward, I said I was sorry" Winry mumbled apologetically.

"Yeah, well"—Ed stopped right there, realizing that, if he yelled, Al would easily hear him. Not wanting the younger Elric to hear, he grabbed Winry's wrist. "Come with me" he commanded quietly and then pulled Winry away.

Winry somewhat struggled against Ed but allowed herself to be pulled away; Ed _was_ physically stronger than her, after all and, even if she didn't want to, _he_ could easily pull her. Something told her he wouldn't do that though, seeing as he rarely ever laid a finger on her.

Ed pulled her to the small entrance that led up to attic. Pulling down the small staircase, he turned back to Winry. "Up" he ordered as he looked at her crossly and pointed upward, obviously wanting her to go up into the attic.

Winry sighed and followed directions, feeling Ed's undying gaze on her the whole way through.

Once upstairs in the attic, Winry sat down on a small stool that happened to be up there and waited for the verbal abuse she'd surely receive.

Ed closed off the entranceway to the attic and turned, severely slow, around to face his mechanic. "Does the word 'privacy' mean _anything_ to you!?" he demanded irately.

"I _said_ I was _sorry_" Winry muttered as she crossed her arms and looked to the ground, as if it were the most incredible thing in the world.

"I can't believe you, Winry! I mean, what the hell, I don't go snooping around your stuff!" The crossed blonde stated incredulously.

Winry was beginning to grow furious towards the former Alchemist. She slowly brought her head up to look him in the eye.

Ed sighed and continued. "I respect you enough, Win, why don't you return that to me?" he asked the Rockbell, crossing his arms and his golden eyes were glowing with more annoyance.

Winry finally cracked. She stood up fiercely in front of the Elric. "I _do_ respect you, Ed! Though, I don't _why _I should respect an easily annoyed, self-centered, _jerk_ like you!" the furious mechanic told him angrily.

Ed slightly took a step back at the blonde's sudden outburst.

Winry continued.

"We've drifted so much, I'm not even sure if I _should_ respect you!" this comment hurt Ed, more than the blonde girl would ever know. "But I do!" she told him. "I _do_ respect you, Ed! Not because I feel I owe it to you but because I think you _deserve_ that much!" the blonde Rockbell stated.

Ed looked away, letting the young woman's words sink in. He looked to her just as she began speaking once more.

"And, not to mention"—it suddenly became silent, as Ed didn't let her finish by placing his lips on hers in a passionate kiss.

Winry's eyes stayed wide in amazement, unsure of what to do next and what would happen.

F----------------M----------------A

A/N:WOOHOO! _Another_cliffhanger!XD This chapter was kinda long too O.o I hope that's OK, guysAnyway, please do me a favor and R&R, constructive criticism, no flames ;) thanks! Ta, ta for now! (:


	5. The Decisions We Make

_**The Decisions We Make**_

**Disclaimer:** I Don't Own FMA In Any Way.

**Rating: **PG—PG-13 Due To Bad Language.

**A/N:** Please, just read; there's not a lot I can say

F----------------M----------------A

One week. It was officially _one week_ since the incident that took place in the attic.

And the two blondes of the household had not said _one word_ to each other.

Winry would never forget it. It was a brief kiss, filled with passion and pure embrace as Ed had practically _forced_ himself to explore her slightly before pulling away, turning right around and leaving the attic without a word, leaving behind a dumbstruck Winry.

The week was filled with brushes of the shoulders and quick glances, all of which resulted in Ed and Winry quickly looking away and blushing heavily. Usually, Winry would try and talk to Ed when the two were alone but, once Ed realized they were alone, he would promptly leave.

Now, as Winry sat alone on her room on her bed, she wondered why Ed hadn't given her time to react to his gesture. Why hadn't he given her time to kiss back? Why did _he_ leave so quickly only to leave _her_ so confused and depressed?

Not only had these questions gone unanswered, Ed _wasn't_ making it any easier. Winry had noted that, ever since the first day of the incident, Ed had begun picking up extra work from his job; possibly to make it easier to avoid the blonde mechanic.

But, Winry could see that Ed was beginning to crack; he was growing _increasingly_ grumpy and irritable in the mornings and his bloodshot eyes never went unnoticed, seeing as they seemed to get worse each day.

Ed had even snapped at Al a few times. Of course, Ed would quickly apologize, saying he was 'really stressed and tired out'. Al, of course, accepted his apology and suggested he take a break and relax for a while.

Ed never took the younger Elric's advice, knowing too well that, if he _did _take a break, Winry would undoubtedly try to communicate with him or she would pop up in his mind and the urge to speak to her would grow stronger.

Today was no different.

The current situation was interesting, though. Al and Noah had gone out earlier when Noah had mentioned a possibility of a new and permanent home with some friends, as well. Al had gone with her, not only as company, but to leave Ed and Winry alone and hopefully fix the, not-so-unnoticed, problem between them.

Ed was currently in his room at his desk, trying to finish up the extra work he had picked up today. His eyes were brutally bloodshot and his level of fatigue was getting worse each second.

Winry was sitting, fidgety, on her bed. Her hands were bunched together and her contemplative eyes were on fixed on the ground in front of her. She wondered who would crack first. She then asked herself whether or not _she_ should try and make the first move.

After fidgeting with her thumbs for a few seconds longer, she finally stood up carefully.

She finally cracked.

Slowly, the mechanic headed to her friend's room. The blonde then carefully stepped into his room, finding Ed at his desk, writing away at his latest calculations paper. Taking a deep breath, she ultimately spoke up. "Ed?" she said quietly.

Ed's eyes widened nervously as he pressed down, a little too hard, on his pencil, causing the tip to instantly snap. He silently swallowed a lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. "Y-yes Winry?" he replied nervously, not looking back to the blonde girl.

"Edward, we have to talk" Winry stated blankly with a hint of anxiousness. She saw his shoulders tense up and then droop.

"I can't talk Winry; I have a lot of work to do today" he pointed out as he stood up to go and get a new pencil, or pen so it _wouldn't_ break. He past by her, making sure their eyes _didn't_ meet. Just before stepping out, completely, from his room, he felt Winry suddenly grab his flesh arm and pull him into her view.

Looking deeply into Ed's eyes, Winry held his arm a little tighter. "Edward, please don't do this to me" she pleaded sorrowfully.

Ed looked away, not wanting to meet Winry's gaze.

The blonde mechanic's eyes finally shed tears held back until now. Then, unexpectedly, she wrapped her arms around the Elric's waist and buried her face into the crook of his warm neck.

Ed's eyes widened, obviously shocked towards the gesture. Nonetheless, he kept his arms drooped to his sides.

For the two of them, being in this position, in which their bodies were so close, felt so right.

Sadly, to Ed, it also felt too wrong.

"Ed, please…don't do this to me…" Winry's muffled sobs pleaded.

Ed lowered his eyes worriedly. "Why are you doing this, Winry? Why do you care so much about it? We both know it doesn't matter and that you don't feel the same about me" he stated, sadness growing in the tone of his voice.

Winry widened her eyes slightly and pulled away, looking Ed in the eyes once more. "Wha-what do you mean?" she asked anxiously, placing her hands, unknowingly, on his chest.

Ed blushed and averted his gaze away before answering her. "You don't…" he paused for a moment.

To Winry, it felt like an eternity.

"You don't love me" he stated finally. His head dropped and his eyes closed as he waited for Winry to say it was the truth.

It stayed silent for a moment as Winry stared at Ed, slightly shocked at his response. "Ed…that's not true; of course I feel that way about you" she told him carefully.

Edward sighed. "Don't lie to me, Winry" he asked her.

Winry drooped her head somewhat before having a small idea.

Gently, she placed her left hand on his cheek, forcing the young man to look at her. The mechanic then blushed, smiling a bit as well.

Her smile faded as she loosened the muscles in her lower jaw and brought her face closer to his. Softly, she placed her lips on his in a simple yet loving kiss.

Ed's eyes widened at the sweetness in her lips.

Winry then pulled away as Ed was about to embrace her. She smiled sweetly at him. "I'm not lying, Ed" she told him happily but quietly.

Ed's flustered face only grew redder and he himself became more anxious towards her. He shrugged and looked away once more, unsure of how to react, exactly.

Winry decided to perk up once more. "Ed, do you know _why_ I followed you to this side of the gate?" she asked him curiously.

Ed looked to her once more and shook his head dumbly.

Winry laughed quietly at his response. "I followed you here because I missed you too damn much" she told him playfully.

Ed cocked his head to the side.

"And because I love you" she smiled at him, bringing her hand to his cheek and cupping it softly.

Ed brought his hand, slowly, to hers and held it tightly as he looked in her eyes. He smirked at her and rubbed his cheek against Winry's soft hand, closing his eyes in sweet pleasure.

Opening his eyes once more, he looked to his mechanic lovingly. Slowly, he leaned closer to her face, as did Winry in return. The two instantly caught the sight of each other's lips and knew very well what the other was thinking.

"I love you too, Win" Ed whispered right before their lips met in a passionate kiss.

Winry suddenly felt the sensation of when he first kissed her in the attic. It was a loving kiss, but this one was more intense, as _both _were contributing to the kiss instead of just one.

This time, though, Ed had to get permission to get into her. She eagerly allowed him as the two began exploring each other.

The two blondes began to lose their steadiness as Winry was the first to fall onto Ed's bed, with her beloved atop of her.

They continued making out, obviously wanting to make up for lost years.

Winry pulled her arms around his neck, pulling him somewhat closer and intensifying the kiss further.

After what seemed like forever, the two pulled away, panting for breath but still managing to give each other loving looks.

Ed smiled at his newfound lover and slowly buried his face inside the crook of her neck.

Winry smiled back at him, breathing heavily through her nose, she placed a hand on the back of Ed's head and gently rubbed her cheek against his.

"Winry?" Ed asked quietly.

"Hmm?" Winry responded carefully.

"I love you" he stated again.

"You already said that, silly" Winry teased as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I know" the former Alchemist said. "I just love saying it" he explained humorously.

Winry smiled happily. "And I love hearing you say it" the mechanic whispered as she kissed the Elric on the cheek.

Ed returned this with a ticklish kiss to the young woman's neck.

That night, the two fell asleep together.

When Al saw this, he only smiled at the two new lovers before going off to sleep himself.

Noah felt some jealousy towards Winry but, deep in her heart, knew the two were made for each other.

Ed and Winry's dreams that night consisted of each other, and the future they could build together and, most likely, would.

Their decisions led to a happy future. Winry was able to tell Ed the truth, as was Ed to Winry.

F----------------M----------------A

We can't foresee the future. We can't understand what our future has in store for us.

Mistakes are a natural part of life but wise decisions are based on the thoughts of ones own opinions and feelings.

But, the decisions we make, and the things we do today, can affect what our future will have waiting for us to discover tomorrow, or even several years from now.

_**Fin**_

F----------------M-----------------A

**A/N: **Please R&R, constructive criticism, no flames :) Thanks!

**P.S.** This story is _complete!_


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